


Rewind

by MidoriFlowersEwe



Category: Breaking Bad
Genre: In 2013, Jesse and Walt adventures, Jesse and Walter's dysfunctional friendship, Multi, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Walter White Being an Asshole, time travel- make it worse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-01-06 22:49:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12220542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidoriFlowersEwe/pseuds/MidoriFlowersEwe
Summary: Jesse and Walter somehow find themselves ten years in the past, and only they seem to remember the future. Walter thinks the whole situation must be a dream, while Jesse see's it as a second chance. Unable to discover the truth, Jesse tries to lead a normal high school life but Walter has other plans, and wants to resurrect his drug empire, but finds he needs Jesse's help.





	1. Chapter 1

 

Jesse knew he had to be dreaming. He knew this because even though he could feel the softness of the blankets on top of him, and smell bacon in the air, his Aunt Jenny who'd died seven years ago was standing before him. Yes, definitely a dream - a realistic dream, but a figment of Jesse's sleeping imagination all the same.

"Get up, Jesse! Or you'll be late for school, and I don't need those damn teachers ringing me up complaining again," Aunt Jenny said, shaking his shoulder and smiling. Jesse was startled by how he could actually feel her grip, feel her bony fingers against his shoulder.

He looked up at his aunt, and a sudden feeling of sorrow washed over him. God did he miss her. She had been like a mother to him when his own parents rejected him.

"Damn, I wish this was real," he said, surprised by how his voice sounded - higher than he remembered.

"This IS real, Jesse - have you been smoking pot, young man?" Jenny asked, smirking her trademark smirk. Jesse had forgotten how sharp and funny she'd been before the cancer.

"I can't even remember," Jesse said, suddenly on impulse hugging her. "It's so fricken' good to see you again- "

"Are you all right, Kiddo?" Aunt Jenny asked, hugging him back nonetheless. "I saw you last night. Did you really miss me that much?"

Jesse wiped his eyes and climbed out of bed, looking around. It was definitely his room at his aunt's house. All the old posters covered the walls - he'd forgotten how many Bob Marley ones he used to have. What ever happened to those, anyway? Was this really a dream? Everything felt far too real. He could hear birdsong and kids playing outside and all that crap, every sensory detail from normal everyday life was here. Could this be reality? Impossible.

Jesse froze when he turned and saw his reflection in the mirror. The teenage version of himself stared back at him, blue eyes wide and in shock, clean-shaven with boyish good looks.

"I'd be horrified too if I had to wake up every morning with a face like that," Jenny said, breaking Jesse's trance. She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Now hurry up and get dressed or I'll eat all the bacon myself!"

Jesse came downstairs a few minutes later, his hair wet from the shower. He'd gotten changed into jeans and a T-shirt. He was still confused, though. The whole situation was surreal: here he was with his dead aunt, eating bacon. He could even TASTE the bacon. What the hell?

"Why do you let me live here?" Jesse blurted out suddenly. It was something he had always wondered, but had never gotten the chance to ask her.

"That was kind of sudden! You're acting awful queer today," Jenny said, laughing lightly. Her laugh faltered, for just a moment, and Jesse caught a glimpse of a sad little smile that graced her lips. "I let you live here because you're family! And I like having you around. You're a good boy."

Jesse had to wipe his eyes again. Damn, had he always been such a crybaby? Ever since Drew Sharp he constantly felt on the edge of tears. He tried to remember the last thing that'd happened... He'd argued with Mr. White, who didn't want him to leave the business and refused to pay him his share... He'd been partying with Skinny Pete when Saul had shown up, given him a gun and told him Mr. White had murdered the ten witnesses and probably Mike too, and - then what?

Jesse's train of thought was broken by the sound of a knock at the door.

"Well, go on, head off to school with your friend Bradley or whatever," Aunt Jenny said, lighting herself a cigarette.

"Don't smoke! You'll - get cancer."

"Hmph! I'll quit when you quit, Kiddo."

"Deal."

"Hurry up and get to school!"

Jesse started heading towards the door almost automatically. He didn't want to leave Aunt Jenny, but he knew she'd refuse to let him skip school, even if this was a dream.

"Bye, Aunt Jenny. Have a great day- stay safe- I'll miss you- "

"Jesus, Kid, I'll see you when you get home! You're going to school, not moving cross-country! Bye Jesse, have a great day yourself. Stay out of trouble!"

"You too!"

"Not making any promises."

Jesse swung open the door, only to come face to face with a fifteen-year-old Brandon Mayhew.

"Hey, Badger- " Jesse said instinctively.

"Whoa, Jesse! You, like, chopped off all your hair, man!" Badger said. Jesse ran a hand through his spiky hair - oh, now he remembered. He had grown it long as a teen, much to his parents' disapproval. He had done it to piss his dad off, mostly. But after a party where some guy who was drunk and probably high mistook him for a girl and started to just make out with him when he was too wasted to even defend himself, he'd cut it all off. So this must be the Monday morning after that lovely weekend. Great.

"Quit spacing out, man," he heard Badger say, and suddenly he was being pulled along the pavement. "Hey, Jesse, did you do your English homework? Oh, man, you haven't even got your bag! Think Mrs Pierce will believe me if I said my cat ate it? Because Fluffy likes eatin' paper, so even if I did do my homework, the cat would of still probably eaten it -"

Jesse tuned out Badger's ramblings and instead tried to work out what the fuck was going on. He'd somehow gotten his twenty-five year old mind stuck in his body and life from ten years ago, but how? Aliens? Maybe a long-term effect of taking blue meth? He needed to Google this shit! But then he remembered it must be like 1999 or some time like that, and Google wasn't nearly as helpful back then. It was probably aliens, Jesse decided. They were the only ones who could pull something like this off.

"Dude, are you all right? Jesse?" Badger said, waving his hands in Jesse's face and smiling his goofy smile. "Your head's like, a million miles away- "

"Just thinking of aliens," Jesse replied sullenly as they approached JP Wynn High School. God, it seemed like this place hadn't changed at all in the past ten years.

"No way! Me too!" Badger said. "I was thinking: who would win, an alien or a predator?"

Jesse raised an eyebrow and laughed despite himself "Alien Vs. Predator?"

"Yeah. What, dude? What's so funny?"

"Badger, you could make a fortune in the film industry."

Badger beamed at the compliment. "Wow, you really think so?"

Jesse nodded. He'd forgotten how Badger used to hang onto every word he said when they first became friends. "Badger, what's the date?"

"November the first."

"What year?"

"1999, duh! How much weed did you smoke at that party?"

Badger never got an answer to that question, because suddenly both boys were grabbed by Mr. Evans, the hard-ass physics teacher who cared waaay too much about kids skipping class, even if it wasn't his class.

"Why aren't you two in class? The bell rang ten minutes ago!" Mr. Evans shouted. Jesse remembered how the guy got fired during his senior year for throwing a chair at a kid and breaking his arm, and smiled at the memory.

"What're you smirking at, Pinkman!?" Mr. Evans hissed. Jesse glared back at him, not nervous like his fifteen-year-old self would have been.

"I'm, like, totally sorry, dude! I mean, er- Sir! We just got, like, stopped by, um, a man looking for directions. And that's why we're late- " Badger rambled, clearly intimidated. Mr. Evans was a scary guy, 6'7 and heavily built.

"Be quiet, Mayhew!" Mr Evans said sternly. "You're not in trouble. You don't know any better, do you? Just run along and go to your...Special Ed class."  
Badger nodded and left hurriedly, clearly glad to be out of there. The way Mr. Evans said 'Special Ed class' made Jesse's blood boil. Badger had gone to classes that taught lessons at a simpler level, but that didn't make him retarded or anything.

"Don't patronize him like that, not cool," Jesse said. He didn't know why he felt so protective of Badger. Maybe it was because the guy just looked like a kid now.

"Tread lightly, Pinkman. You don't want to get into trouble," Mr Evans said.

Jesse laughed. "Oh, man, I'm so scared! What're you gonna do? Put me in detention?" he said, rolling his eyes. The threats might have scared his teenage-self, but the twenty-five-year old Jesse had dealt with murderous drug lords. A high school teacher with a stick up his ass didn't scare him (unless that teacher was Mr. White).

"Exactly," Mr. Evans said. "Now get to chemistry!"

"You have my fricken time-table memorized!?" Jesse said, raising an eyebrow. Next thing Jesse knew, he was being dragged down the corridor by Mr. Evans. Instinctively he tried to pull away, but the next thing he knew, he was being shoved into the chemistry class room.

"Mr. White. This student was late, and was being insolent. I trust you will put him in detention!" Mr. Evans shouted, Jesse looked up at Mr White. He was exactly how Jesse remembered him from high school, with his nerdy sweaters and his mustache that resembled a dead mouse. Jesse looked at Mr. White, catching his eye, and in that moment he knew Mr. White had the same memories he had. He could tell by the recognition in Mr. White's expression, and the confusion in his eyes.

"Yes...I'll put Jesse in detention," Mr White said, sounding as lost and confused as Jesse felt.

"Yo, Jesse!" Jesse looked up to see his old chemistry buddy, Justin. A wave of nostalgia hit him as he remembered all the times they'd set things on fire with the Bunsen burner, and how the amount of chemistry equipment they'd broke between them must have cost the school a small fortune.

"Jesse, come here and get your work," Mr. White said. Jesse walked over, and his teacher got out a glass flask.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Heat-proof boiling flask."

"Can you name some processes it can be used in?"

"Um, cooking meth."

Mr. White let out a sigh that could be either relief or frustration. "So you remember, too, about- "

"2010? Yeah," Jesse replied, his tone hushed. "Mr. White, what's going on? Is this a dream, or aliens, or-?"

"We'll talk about your behavior after class, Pinkman. Take your seat," Mr White said suddenly, loud enough for the rest of the class to hear.  
Reluctantly, Jesse agreed, sitting next to Justin.

"Yo, Jesse!" Justin said again.

"Hey, Justin," Jesse said. What had happened to Justin in 2010, anyway? Last Jesse had heard, he'd gotten some girl pregnant, then skipped town to avoid the consequences. Asshole.

"Man, was that party at the weekend dope? Next time you an' Pete go out, invite me too. Give a dog a bone, will ya? Yo, I was stuck at home smokin' a fat haze like, alone, man," Drew rambled.

"Sure," Jesse replied, not really paying attention. He wanted to speak to Mr White about what the hell was going on already. Mr White himself sat at the furiously scribbling something down, ignoring the class.

"Sir what are we suppose to be doing?" Courtney piped up. Jesse smiled, remembering how he always used to bicker with her in every lesson.

"Read your text books," Mr White replied, not looking up.

"Which part?"

"The part you...struggle with the most."

"I don't struggle with anything, sir." Courtney said, primly. A ripple of snickers when through the class.

"Well, then, get out," Mr White said, his voice suddenly low and threatening. Damn, the guy must be worked up if he's going all Heisenberg on some fifteen-year-old nerd, Jesse thought. "In fact, I want all of you to go to the library and do some independent studying. Class dismissed. Jesse, you stay behind."

Courtney looked scandalized, but the rest of the class cheered, glad to be liberated from the boredom that was chemistry class. Jesse stayed in his seat, looking up as Mr White approached him.

"So, what's going on?" Jesse asked, hating how high his voice sounded. It wasn't exactly childish, but it wasn't the gruff voice he was used to, either.

"I don't know. My best guess is this is all a delusion, a dream! So even you, Jesse, are a figment of my imagination," Mr. White said, his voice edging on hysteria.

"Bitch! I'm real!" Jesse said, half-amused and half-irritated.

"None of this can be real, Jesse, it's impossible!" Walter said, slamming his hands down on the desk. "I woke up this morning and Skyler was speaking to me like She used to, without animosity or bitterness. She was telling me I had to get ready for work, for school. I tried to remind her that I was fired, but she just laughed, thinking it was a joke. I didn't know what she was playing at! At first I thought that somehow, she'd set this up. Maybe as a way to get me out of the meth business, I don't know! Even with my hair back I didn't believe this was 1999, until...I saw Junior." Mr. White got a little choked up. "I'd recognize my son as a child anywhere."

Jesse paused. "Then I guess you just went with the flow, like I did, and ended up in high school?" He wondered why Mr. White seemed to be the only other one who remembered. What's up with that? It wasn't like they were even partners anymore: Jesse had walked out of that shitstorm. He knew Mr. White had killed Mike and those ten witnesses. He figured the guy was coming after him next.

"Something like that," Mr. White replied wearily. "If you're real, too, then what is this?"

"Aliens," Jesse said simply. "Aliens or ghosts or something gave us a psychic vision into the future. I know it sounds crazy, man, but - hey, maybe we ARE crazy and all that stuff about the meth dealing and Gus and everything was just an illusion."

Walter paused, genuinely considering the idea. He didn't like how hopeful Jesse sounded - did he really want the empire they had built together to just be nothing more than an insane delusion? "What, both of us are suddenly crazy and have the same hallucinations, down to the exact details?" Walter asked, raising his eyebrow. "That's just stupid."

"Yo, this whole situation's stupid!"

"There's a way to find out," Walter said. "If the things, the people we know in the future, like Gale, Gus, and Mike, are real in this reality, then we can rule out the crazy delusion idea. Okay?"

"So, if we didn't just imagine the future up?"

"Then THIS must be the dream. It has to be. I must be dreaming."

"Hey!" Jesse said "If it's anyone's dream, it's mine - I KNOW I'm real! So maybe someone gave us a vision of the future as like...a warning!"

"Who did that? Aliens?" Walter said, his tone patronizing. "Don't tell me your intelligence has shrunk along with your size."

"Asshole," Jesse huffed, shoving his hands in his pocket. It was almost like he and Walter were back to how they used to be when they first started cooking meth. That's the last thing Jesse wanted. Since Mr. White had killed Mike and those ten guys in prison, the former chemistry teacher had become a source of fear for him. "So, When should we, like, find out if Gale and Mike were ever real?" Jesse asked.

"Right now," Walter replied.

"What about school?"

Mr. White laughed. "As if you ever cared about school! Finding out what the hell's going on here is more important than class!"

"Whatever, man, let's go- " Jesse said, but the pair were suddenly interrupted by the door swinging open and Mrs. Grey, the geometry teacher, stepping in. Jesse looked up at her. He felt his heart suddenly start to pound as he remembered all the 'extra tutoring' she'd given him. He didn't normally act like this around women, even the hot ones. Must be something to do with being in the body of a fifteen-year-old. Fucking hormones.

"Sorry, Mr. White, but Jesse's suppose to be in my class now, I'll have to steal him from you," she said. "We have some very important work to do...Very important!"

Mr. White just looked at her, recognizing her instantly as the teacher fired for inappropriate student-teacher relationships. Without waiting for a response, Mrs. Grey pranced into the room, touching Jesse lightly on the shoulder, almost guiding him out. She shot a wide smile at Mr. White before adding,"Oh, and Walter, dear, your next class is waiting outside for you to call them in. Could you do it, please? They're making quite the ruckus!"

"Right. Jesse, speak to me after school. You have...detention." Walter had never liked that woman. He wondered if he should just get Jesse and go and try to work out what was going on around here, but he figured there was no point making a scene even if this was a dream. After all, there was still a chance this was reality. Still, this whole situation was so frustrating! Walter was a man who desired control, so he hated not knowing what was going on.

He thought about what Jesse had said: a Warning.  _Ha! A warning from what?_  Walter figured he was doing just fine in the meth business. Better than fine - he was building an empire! He had it all planned out: he'd amass a fortune for his family and build a meth empire bigger than the Grey Matter business. Jesse would end up helping him cook again. Walter knew that was best for him: he didn't want the boy wasting his potential. Besides, what else did Jesse have in his life? Holly and Junior would grow up happy with all the money they needed, and Skyler would eventually come around. Part of him almost wanted Hank to find out- he wanted to see the shock on Hank's face when he realized Walter wasn't just some mild-mannered nerd. Maybe he could find out just before Walter died.  _How should I die?_  Walter began to wonder.  _Cancer? Gunshot?_

"Sir...Are you okay?" a student who'd wandered into the room asked. He was kind of freaked out by Mr. White's creepy glare into space.

"Man, Mr. White's gone loco," some boy called out, causing the class to erupt with laughter like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard.

"Shut up and sit down," Mr. White snarled, in no mood to deal with rowdy teens. He'd forgotten how much he hated this job.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (a/n: Thanks for reading, please comment what you thought! :D...I know, I know, it doesn't have clear direction, it's a slow start and maybe a little dialogue-heavy, but I'm trying to pick up the pace as I go along :D
> 
> Edit; And Thanks to TrudiRose who took the time to edit this for me, :)

Jesse knew he had to be dreaming. He knew this because even though he could feel the softness of the blankets on top of him, and smell bacon in the air, his Aunt Jenny who'd died seven years ago was standing before him. Yes, definitely a dream - a realistic dream, but a figment of Jesse's sleeping imagination all the same.

"Get up, Jesse! Or you'll be late for school, and I don't need those damn teachers ringing me up complaining again," Aunt Jenny said, shaking his shoulder and smiling. Jesse was startled by how he could actually feel her grip, feel her bony fingers against his shoulder.

He looked up at his aunt, and a sudden feeling of sorrow washed over him. God did he miss her. She had been like a mother to him when his own parents rejected him.

"Damn, I wish this was real," he said, surprised by how his voice sounded - higher than he remembered.

"This IS real, Jesse - have you been smoking pot, young man?" Jenny asked, smirking her trademark smirk. Jesse had forgotten how sharp and funny she'd been before the cancer.

"I can't even remember," Jesse said, suddenly on impulse hugging her. "It's so fricken' good to see you again- "

"Are you all right, Kiddo?" Aunt Jenny asked, hugging him back nonetheless. "I saw you last night. Did you really miss me that much?"

Jesse wiped his eyes and climbed out of bed, looking around. It was definitely his room at his aunt's house. All the old posters covered the walls - he'd forgotten how many Bob Marley ones he used to have. What ever happened to those, anyway? Was this really a dream? Everything felt far too real. He could hear birdsong and kids playing outside and all that crap, every sensory detail from normal everyday life was here. Could this be reality? Impossible.

Jesse froze when he turned and saw his reflection in the mirror. The teenage version of himself stared back at him, blue eyes wide and in shock, clean-shaven with boyish good looks.

"I'd be horrified too if I had to wake up every morning with a face like that," Jenny said, breaking Jesse's trance. She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Now hurry up and get dressed or I'll eat all the bacon myself!"

Jesse came downstairs a few minutes later, his hair wet from the shower. He'd gotten changed into jeans and a T-shirt. He was still confused, though. The whole situation was surreal: here he was with his dead aunt, eating bacon. He could even TASTE the bacon. What the hell?

"Why do you let me live here?" Jesse blurted out suddenly. It was something he had always wondered, but had never gotten the chance to ask her.

"That was kind of sudden! You're acting awful queer today," Jenny said, laughing lightly. Her laugh faltered, for just a moment, and Jesse caught a glimpse of a sad little smile that graced her lips. "I let you live here because you're family! And I like having you around. You're a good boy."

Jesse had to wipe his eyes again. Damn, had he always been such a crybaby? Ever since Drew Sharp he constantly felt on the edge of tears. He tried to remember the last thing that'd happened... He'd argued with Mr. White, who didn't want him to leave the business and refused to pay him his share... He'd been partying with Skinny Pete when Saul had shown up, given him a gun and told him Mr. White had murdered the ten witnesses and probably Mike too, and - then what?

Jesse's train of thought was broken by the sound of a knock at the door.

"Well, go on, head off to school with your friend Bradley or whatever," Aunt Jenny said, lighting herself a cigarette.

"Don't smoke! You'll - get cancer."

"Hmph! I'll quit when you quit, Kiddo."

"Deal."

"Hurry up and get to school!"

Jesse started heading towards the door almost automatically. He didn't want to leave Aunt Jenny, but he knew she'd refuse to let him skip school, even if this was a dream.

"Bye, Aunt Jenny. Have a great day- stay safe- I'll miss you- "

"Jesus, Kid, I'll see you when you get home! You're going to school, not moving cross-country! Bye Jesse, have a great day yourself. Stay out of trouble!"

"You too!"

"Not making any promises."

Jesse swung open the door, only to come face to face with a fifteen-year-old Brandon Mayhew.

"Hey, Badger- " Jesse said instinctively.

"Whoa, Jesse! You, like, chopped off all your hair, man!" Badger said. Jesse ran a hand through his spiky hair - oh, now he remembered. He had grown it long as a teen, much to his parents' disapproval. He had done it to piss his dad off, mostly. But after a party where some guy who was drunk and probably high mistook him for a girl and started to just make out with him when he was too wasted to even defend himself, he'd cut it all off. So this must be the Monday morning after that lovely weekend. Great.

"Quit spacing out, man," he heard Badger say, and suddenly he was being pulled along the pavement. "Hey, Jesse, did you do your English homework? Oh, man, you haven't even got your bag! Think Mrs Pierce will believe me if I said my cat ate it? Because Fluffy likes eatin' paper, so even if I did do my homework, the cat would of still probably eaten it -"

Jesse tuned out Badger's ramblings and instead tried to work out what the fuck was going on. He'd somehow gotten his twenty-five year old mind stuck in his body and life from ten years ago, but how? Aliens? Maybe a long-term effect of taking blue meth? He needed to Google this shit! But then he remembered it must be like 1999 or some time like that, and Google wasn't nearly as helpful back then. It was probably aliens, Jesse decided. They were the only ones who could pull something like this off.

"Dude, are you all right? Jesse?" Badger said, waving his hands in Jesse's face and smiling his goofy smile. "Your head's like, a million miles away- "

"Just thinking of aliens," Jesse replied sullenly as they approached JP Wynn High School. God, it seemed like this place hadn't changed at all in the past ten years.

"No way! Me too!" Badger said. "I was thinking: who would win, an alien or a predator?"

Jesse raised an eyebrow and laughed despite himself "Alien Vs. Predator?"

"Yeah. What, dude? What's so funny?"

"Badger, you could make a fortune in the film industry."

Badger beamed at the compliment. "Wow, you really think so?"

Jesse nodded. He'd forgotten how Badger used to hang onto every word he said when they first became friends. "Badger, what's the date?"

"November the first."

"What year?"

"1999, duh! How much weed did you smoke at that party?"

Badger never got an answer to that question, because suddenly both boys were grabbed by Mr. Evans, the hard-ass physics teacher who cared waaay too much about kids skipping class, even if it wasn't his class.

"Why aren't you two in class? The bell rang ten minutes ago!" Mr. Evans shouted. Jesse remembered how the guy got fired during his senior year for throwing a chair at a kid and breaking his arm, and smiled at the memory.

"What're you smirking at, Pinkman!?" Mr. Evans hissed. Jesse glared back at him, not nervous like his fifteen-year-old self would have been.

"I'm, like, totally sorry, dude! I mean, er- Sir! We just got, like, stopped by, um, a man looking for directions. And that's why we're late- " Badger rambled, clearly intimidated. Mr. Evans was a scary guy, 6'7 and heavily built.

"Be quiet, Mayhew!" Mr Evans said sternly. "You're not in trouble. You don't know any better, do you? Just run along and go to your...Special Ed class."  
Badger nodded and left hurriedly, clearly glad to be out of there. The way Mr. Evans said 'Special Ed class' made Jesse's blood boil. Badger had gone to classes that taught lessons at a simpler level, but that didn't make him retarded or anything.

"Don't patronize him like that, not cool," Jesse said. He didn't know why he felt so protective of Badger. Maybe it was because the guy just looked like a kid now.

"Tread lightly, Pinkman. You don't want to get into trouble," Mr Evans said.

Jesse laughed. "Oh, man, I'm so scared! What're you gonna do? Put me in detention?" he said, rolling his eyes. The threats might have scared his teenage-self, but the twenty-five-year old Jesse had dealt with murderous drug lords. A high school teacher with a stick up his ass didn't scare him (unless that teacher was Mr. White).

"Exactly," Mr. Evans said. "Now get to chemistry!"

"You have my fricken time-table memorized!?" Jesse said, raising an eyebrow. Next thing Jesse knew, he was being dragged down the corridor by Mr. Evans. Instinctively he tried to pull away, but the next thing he knew, he was being shoved into the chemistry class room.

"Mr. White. This student was late, and was being insolent. I trust you will put him in detention!" Mr. Evans shouted, Jesse looked up at Mr White. He was exactly how Jesse remembered him from high school, with his nerdy sweaters and his mustache that resembled a dead mouse. Jesse looked at Mr. White, catching his eye, and in that moment he knew Mr. White had the same memories he had. He could tell by the recognition in Mr. White's expression, and the confusion in his eyes.

"Yes...I'll put Jesse in detention," Mr White said, sounding as lost and confused as Jesse felt.

"Yo, Jesse!" Jesse looked up to see his old chemistry buddy, Justin. A wave of nostalgia hit him as he remembered all the times they'd set things on fire with the Bunsen burner, and how the amount of chemistry equipment they'd broke between them must have cost the school a small fortune.

"Jesse, come here and get your work," Mr. White said. Jesse walked over, and his teacher got out a glass flask.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Heat-proof boiling flask."

"Can you name some processes it can be used in?"

"Um, cooking meth."

Mr. White let out a sigh that could be either relief or frustration. "So you remember, too, about- "

"2010? Yeah," Jesse replied, his tone hushed. "Mr. White, what's going on? Is this a dream, or aliens, or-?"

"We'll talk about your behavior after class, Pinkman. Take your seat," Mr White said suddenly, loud enough for the rest of the class to hear.  
Reluctantly, Jesse agreed, sitting next to Justin.

"Yo, Jesse!" Justin said again.

"Hey, Justin," Jesse said. What had happened to Justin in 2010, anyway? Last Jesse had heard, he'd gotten some girl pregnant, then skipped town to avoid the consequences. Asshole.

"Man, was that party at the weekend dope? Next time you an' Pete go out, invite me too. Give a dog a bone, will ya? Yo, I was stuck at home smokin' a fat haze like, alone, man," Drew rambled.

"Sure," Jesse replied, not really paying attention. He wanted to speak to Mr White about what the hell was going on already. Mr White himself sat at the furiously scribbling something down, ignoring the class.

"Sir what are we suppose to be doing?" Courtney piped up. Jesse smiled, remembering how he always used to bicker with her in every lesson.

"Read your text books," Mr White replied, not looking up.

"Which part?"

"The part you...struggle with the most."

"I don't struggle with anything, sir." Courtney said, primly. A ripple of snickers when through the class.

"Well, then, get out," Mr White said, his voice suddenly low and threatening. Damn, the guy must be worked up if he's going all Heisenberg on some fifteen-year-old nerd, Jesse thought. "In fact, I want all of you to go to the library and do some independent studying. Class dismissed. Jesse, you stay behind."

Courtney looked scandalized, but the rest of the class cheered, glad to be liberated from the boredom that was chemistry class. Jesse stayed in his seat, looking up as Mr White approached him.

"So, what's going on?" Jesse asked, hating how high his voice sounded. It wasn't exactly childish, but it wasn't the gruff voice he was used to, either.

"I don't know. My best guess is this is all a delusion, a dream! So even you, Jesse, are a figment of my imagination," Mr. White said, his voice edging on hysteria.

"Bitch! I'm real!" Jesse said, half-amused and half-irritated.

"None of this can be real, Jesse, it's impossible!" Walter said, slamming his hands down on the desk. "I woke up this morning and Skyler was speaking to me like She used to, without animosity or bitterness. She was telling me I had to get ready for work, for school. I tried to remind her that I was fired, but she just laughed, thinking it was a joke. I didn't know what she was playing at! At first I thought that somehow, she'd set this up. Maybe as a way to get me out of the meth business, I don't know! Even with my hair back I didn't believe this was 1999, until...I saw Junior." Mr. White got a little choked up. "I'd recognize my son as a child anywhere."

Jesse paused. "Then I guess you just went with the flow, like I did, and ended up in high school?" He wondered why Mr. White seemed to be the only other one who remembered. What's up with that? It wasn't like they were even partners anymore: Jesse had walked out of that shitstorm. He knew Mr. White had killed Mike and those ten witnesses. He figured the guy was coming after him next.

"Something like that," Mr. White replied wearily. "If you're real, too, then what is this?"

"Aliens," Jesse said simply. "Aliens or ghosts or something gave us a psychic vision into the future. I know it sounds crazy, man, but - hey, maybe we ARE crazy and all that stuff about the meth dealing and Gus and everything was just an illusion."

Walter paused, genuinely considering the idea. He didn't like how hopeful Jesse sounded - did he really want the empire they had built together to just be nothing more than an insane delusion? "What, both of us are suddenly crazy and have the same hallucinations, down to the exact details?" Walter asked, raising his eyebrow. "That's just stupid."

"Yo, this whole situation's stupid!"

"There's a way to find out," Walter said. "If the things, the people we know in the future, like Gale, Gus, and Mike, are real in this reality, then we can rule out the crazy delusion idea. Okay?"

"So, if we didn't just imagine the future up?"

"Then THIS must be the dream. It has to be. I must be dreaming."

"Hey!" Jesse said "If it's anyone's dream, it's mine - I KNOW I'm real! So maybe someone gave us a vision of the future as like...a warning!"

"Who did that? Aliens?" Walter said, his tone patronizing. "Don't tell me your intelligence has shrunk along with your size."

"Asshole," Jesse huffed, shoving his hands in his pocket. It was almost like he and Walter were back to how they used to be when they first started cooking meth. That's the last thing Jesse wanted. Since Mr. White had killed Mike and those ten guys in prison, the former chemistry teacher had become a source of fear for him. "So, When should we, like, find out if Gale and Mike were ever real?" Jesse asked.

"Right now," Walter replied.

"What about school?"

Mr. White laughed. "As if you ever cared about school! Finding out what the hell's going on here is more important than class!"

"Whatever, man, let's go- " Jesse said, but the pair were suddenly interrupted by the door swinging open and Mrs. Grey, the geometry teacher, stepping in. Jesse looked up at her. He felt his heart suddenly start to pound as he remembered all the 'extra tutoring' she'd given him. He didn't normally act like this around women, even the hot ones. Must be something to do with being in the body of a fifteen-year-old. Fucking hormones.

"Sorry, Mr. White, but Jesse's suppose to be in my class now, I'll have to steal him from you," she said. "We have some very important work to do...Very important!"

Mr. White just looked at her, recognizing her instantly as the teacher fired for inappropriate student-teacher relationships. Without waiting for a response, Mrs. Grey pranced into the room, touching Jesse lightly on the shoulder, almost guiding him out. She shot a wide smile at Mr. White before adding,"Oh, and Walter, dear, your next class is waiting outside for you to call them in. Could you do it, please? They're making quite the ruckus!"

"Right. Jesse, speak to me after school. You have...detention." Walter had never liked that woman. He wondered if he should just get Jesse and go and try to work out what was going on around here, but he figured there was no point making a scene even if this was a dream. After all, there was still a chance this was reality. Still, this whole situation was so frustrating! Walter was a man who desired control, so he hated not knowing what was going on.

He thought about what Jesse had said: a Warning. Ha! A warning from what? Walter figured he was doing just fine in the meth business. Better than fine - he was building an empire! He had it all planned out: he'd amass a fortune for his family and build a meth empire bigger than the Grey Matter business. Jesse would end up helping him cook again. Walter knew that was best for him: he didn't want the boy wasting his potential. Besides, what else did Jesse have in his life? Holly and Junior would grow up happy with all the money they needed, and Skyler would eventually come around. Part of him almost wanted Hank to find out- he wanted to see the shock on Hank's face when he realized Walter wasn't just some mild-mannered nerd. Maybe he could find out just before Walter died. How should I die? Walter began to wonder. Cancer? Gunshot?

"Sir...Are you okay?" a student who'd wandered into the room asked. He was kind of freaked out by Mr. White's creepy glare into space.

"Man, Mr. White's gone loco," some boy called out, causing the class to erupt with laughter like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard.

"Shut up and sit down," Mr. White snarled, in no mood to deal with rowdy teens. He'd forgotten how much he hated this job.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I wrote this back in 2013 before Better call Saul came out and we knew about his backstory, so some details about him are a little off.

Jesse walked to school, his eyes puffy and red from lack of sleep and smoking weed. His head pounded with a hangover that seemed to get worse with every step he took. Back when he actually was a teenager, he would never if gone to school in these circumstances, and would probably just lie in bed all day, but the sight of Aunt Ginny's worried face when he finally walked home last night was enough to guilt him into at least making the effort.

That was the thing about Aunt Jenny, she always pretended like she didn't care what Jesse did, but it'd be her who'd wait up for him late at night, and look after him when he did something dumb and hurt himself. So, despite the (self inflicted) pain, Jesse trudged to JP Wynn high, trying not to think about how Mr White would be pissed at him for not doing the research. Whatever. Jesse'd discovered he could still get drunk an stoned, that was proof enough for him that this wasn't a dream. He'd managed to sleep for a few hours too, you can't fall asleep inside a dream, right?

As if Jesse'd summoned him by thought alone, a worn-down black car pulled up next to him on the pavement. The window rolled down, revealing a disheveled looking Walter White. The guy's hair stuck out in all directions, and his eyes too were blood-shot, but Jesse guessed that was defiantly because he was tired, and not because he'd been smoking weed.

"Rough night?" Jesse asked, smirking a little. "You look like you haven't slept at all, man."

"I haven't." Mr White snapped, irritably. "I wasn't able to do any research because my computer wasn't working properly. I'm guessing you haven't done any either?"

"I found out I can sleep, get drunk and get high. Pretty sure I couldn't do that if this was a dream."  
Walter rolled his eyes, the disapproving look in them almost made Jesse cringe

"Get in." He commanded, his voice gruff, and as if on instinct, Jesse climbed in, moving an action man doll of the chair as he sat down.

"This yours?" He asked, teasing.

"My son's." Walter replied tightly, hands clenching the steering wheel, one thing was evident, Mr White was in a foul mood. Walter kept his eyes on the road, and both hands on the wheel, trying to ignore the tired itching of his eyes, telling himself that he couldn't possibly be tired, because this was a dream.

"So where the hell are we going?" Jesse asked for the third time, and for the third time Walter ignored him. "Yo! Mr white, if your not gonna tell me where we're going then let me the hell outta here!"  
Was that a hint of fear Walter detected in his student's voice? Sighing, Walter answered.

"We're going to the Albequrty central library. They have sufficient internet there, and the resources we need to do the research. Because Jf Gus, Gale and the rest of them exist then this must be a dream."

"This isn't a dream and you know it." Jesse huffed. "What about school?"

Walter rolled his eyes. "Fuck school." He said, his voice low and dangerous. He didn't bother telling Jesse he'd called in sick. "We're finding out the truth."

"This is pointless." Jesse said, knowing full-well that no matter what they found out at the library, it would not explain what was going on. Unless they ran into like, the alien or witch or whatever that caused this whole situation, Jesse couldn't decide if that'd be cool or scary..

"It's better than nothing, Jesse, you might be able to live in ignorance, but I for one want to at least attempt at uncovering the truth?" Came Walter's reply. Jesse just turned away, his own curiosity the only thing keeping him from just leaving.

They arrived at the central library in no time with Walter's uncharacteristically speedy driving. They seemed an odd pair to walk into a library together at this time of day- a nerdy-looking 40 year old man, and a teenage boy, but luckily the place was near-empty anyway.

Jesse sat waiting for the computer to load up, While Walter scoured the shelves, pulling out random books as if they might have the answer to all this madness.  
"Yo! It's loaded." Jesse called, "Get over here!"

"I thought even the most ignorant person would know not to shout in the library." Walter said, putting a book back almost reluctantly. "- and these books aren't even in alphabetical order, how is any one suppose to work in such a disorganized area?"

"Whatever. We've done 'work' in a broken RV and bug-infested houses. This place'll be fine." Jesse said, rolling his eyes. It occurred to him Walter seemed to turn into an OCD madman when he was sleep-deprived. He'd only seen Mr White this way a couple of times before, like the time he spent the night cooped up in the super-lab chasing down a fly.

"Shh! Don't talk about that here!" Walter said, almost on instinct. Jesse resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Whatever man, where do we start?"

Jesse wouldn't say the past hour had been the most boring of his life, but it defiantly ranked in the top ten. Mr White completely hogged the computer for a start, busying himself with research into archives and stuff that Jesse didn't even care to understand. The only 2010-person who'd been easy to find was Gus- he had a small site advertising los pollos hermano's restaurant.

The site boasted proudly about plans to create a second store, and how it would soon become a chain-restaurant. On the main page was a picture of Gus Fring, smiling his usual polite smile that never quite reached his eyes. He hadn't changed at all in the past 10 years, the guy was like a statue or something!

"You see, Jesse? If we'd dreamed up the future it'd be just that- a dream! It wouldn't have elements of reality in it, like the existence of this man here." Walter said, slowly like he was explaining something to a particularly slow child. "That means 2010 is the reality and this is the dream."

"That doesn't prove shit, man." Jesse said. "Gus Fring owns like, a restaurant chain, he has adverts, yo. You could of registered it like, subconsciously."  
Walter fixed Jesse a long challenging look. "Fine. We'll google somebody else. Saul."

"Fine." Jesse said shortly, he felt his temper flare, and he had a strong desire to break something and he wasn't sure why. Lack of sleep? General stress? Teenage hormones? Mr White's annoying face?

Walter quickly typed in 'Saul Goodman', and sat back as the results took their time loading. "So, first night 'back in the past' and your already spending your time getting drunk and high." Walter said, more as an observation than an accusation, but it made Jesse angry regardless.

"Whatever. I didn't even smoke that much. It was more research than you did." Jesse said, forcing a defiant smirk onto his face. "Besides- you think this is all a dream of yours. What does that say about your mind, man, that your dreaming about going back in time and me getting high."

Walter actually faltered at that, if this was a dream what did that say about his mind set. Realistic dreams you can't tell apart from reality where a sign of insanity, right? Why would he dream Jesse was the only one who knew what he knows. Was he perhaps in a coma and that's why his dream was so long and realistic? Was his life being held in the balance right now, was he really lying on a hospital bed, hit by a car perhaps, or maybe the cancer had made a sudden comeback hitting him like a deadly assassin. Skyler's words flitted briefly through his mind.  
'I'm waiting for the cancer to come back and kill you'

"See- nothin' " Walter was brought back to the present (or past, possibly) by Jesse's voice. He looked at the search results. There was no lawyer named Saul Goodman.

"We need to check thoroughly this is only the first page!" Walter said.

"Dude, if this is your dream just make it on the first page." Jesse huffed.

A half hour past of Walter scouring the pages, Jesse passed it by spinning on the computer chair, and flipping through random books. He was just starting the first Harry Potter book, when his teacher suddenly cried out a triumphant

"Aha!"

"What? Did you find him?"

"No, but I remembered something- his real name's Mcgil." Walter said as he typed the name into the search engine.

"It would of been great if you remembered that like, half an hour ago." Jesse grumbled. "- Hey I totally already know how the Harry Potter books end now, you know people were actually betting on that stuff? I could make a fortune!"

"I'm glad that you have a solid life plan." Walter said, sarcastically.

"Whatever man. I made a few hundred in cash just yesterday. So far I'm doing better than your old ass." Jesse said, smugly

"What? How? Have you been selling Drugs? Methamphetamine?" Walter replied, actually turning around to face him.

"Among others." Jesse said, making no mention that he didn't plan to sell again.

"I see." Walter said, he regarded Jesse for a ling awkward moment Before turning his attention back to the screen."Found him."

Jesse leaned forward to the computer screen and almost burst out laughing. A picture of a younger Saul Goodman flashed on screen. He was wearing some kind of vest top and leather jacket, and his hair was spiked up with excess amount of gel. He might of been younger but he wasn't young enough to carry of that look. The slogan on the top of website read 'Saul mcgil- urban Lawyer. Real Lawyer'.

"So what his gimmick's like being some kind of urban, gangsta, lawyer?" Jesse said, shaking his head. "And I thought his 2010 ad campaign was lame."

"He can settle things without even going to court, apparently." Walter said, a heavy scepticism in his voice. "So you see, Jesse this proves that this is a dream because- "

"- No way. We are not getting into that argument again." Jesse said, ignoring the smug look in Walter's eyes. "Whatever, I haven't eaten since yesterday, I'm going to Mcdonalds."  
"The way you look after your body is awful! How are you even still alive?" Walter said, shaking his head at his young junkie friend. It always astounded him how Jesse seemed to have moderately good health despite his terrible lifestyle.

Walter dropped Jesse of at school that afternoon, after an awkward McDonalds meal spent discussing plans for staying in this weird past life.

"I could like, write songs from 2010. Good songs- I could make a fortune in the music industry." Says Jesse.

"So you plan to make a life of stealing from others? That's the lowest of the low."

"Well, what are your plans? You gotta have plans, yo."

"To wake up."  
__________________________________  
Jesse hoped out of the car, shielding his eyes from the searing new Mexico sun. "Ugh. Why did I leave my spare house keys in my locker?" He groaned. His aunt was out on one of her trips, meaning he'd have to sneak into school and get to his locker to get his house key. "And why did I waste my day with you? I'm gonna get a detention now!"  
"Just like when you were actually a high schooler." Walter said from the front seat of his car.

"Prick."

Before the two could start bickering again, a figure hurried over.

"Oh, hello Mr White. I thought you were ill." It was Mrs Grey. Walter resisted the urge to scowl, and instead forced a pleasant smile.

"I was actually just driving to the doctors." Walter said,

"Oh, and you thought you'd give Jesse a lift so he wouldn't be even later to school? That was kind." Mrs Grey said suspicion clear in her voice. Jesse smiled at her in attempt to look innocent and get out of a detention. He was twenty five for gods sake!

"Something like that, yes" Walter said. "Now I have to go to the doctors, don't want to be late. Pinkman, don't give Mrs Grey any trouble."

"Yes Mr White." Jesse said with mock-respect that Walter found infuriating for some reason.

"Jesse, come with me." Mrs White said. Walter drove of smiling smugly while Jesse's mind raced with excuses.

"Walter, the boiler's broken again. We're going to have to go to Hank and Marie's to get our shower tonight." Was the first words Skyler had said to Walt when he arrived home that evening.

"Yay! S- So we get to see uncle Hank?" Junior cheered happily from his place in the living room. "-but wait, I don't wanna bath."

"Then you don't get to see uncle Hank. You can stay here all on your own." Skyler said, sternly.

"Fine, I'll go." Junior said, pouting almost theatrically.  
Walter made his way over to Skyler.

"Can't we just get it fixed?" He half-whispered. Skyler rolled her eyes and fixed him her best 'your being a dumbass' look.

"Walter. You know we can't afford that right now." Skyler said, casting her eyes over their son. "You know we need to save."

"I know it's just- " Walter sighed. Humiliating. It was humiliating that he couldn't provide for his family for the most basic things. He had to relay on Hank to keep them clean, for gods sake! He was sure his brother in law secretly felt smug about that. "Never mind.."

"Are you sure your alright, you look like you haven't slept." Skyler said, rubbing his shoulder's soothingly. No! He wanted to yell back at her.

No I'm not fine. I've gone from being the most powerful drug lord in ABQ to some loser who can't even afford to fix his boiler! I could possibly be trapped in a coma, and the only person who knows about 2010 seems to despise me. My head hurts and my eyes are stinging. And to top it all of my own son still cares about his uncle more than me. Instead he settled for a simple.

"I'm fine. Just tired."

Before Jesse had been adamant that this wasn't a dream. Now he wasn't so sure. Because his english teacher, Mrs Grey, was in his bed, in his aunts house, lying nude next to him. Holy fuck how had this happened!?

All through the detention she'd been flirting with him, but he figured since that's how she usually was it didn't mean anything. So he just flirted back like any normal person would. Harmless fun. She didn't flirt like a normal freakin' person, either, she said all lyrical artsy stuff, that'd be shameful if any normal person said it.  
"I never noticed, Jesse, but your eyes are such a captivating shade of blue." Every time she said something like that, Jesse would be surprised and flustered, not smooth at all, like an actual teenager he was awkward as hell. But she seemed to like his lame responses.

"Thanks.. I think you eyes are like- pretty."

Her suggestive poses, and the way she seemed to lean in a little too close to him when they were speaking was more than enough to temporarily distract him from thoughts of Mr White. The whole thing was making his weird teenage hormones go crazy, once again he cursed the fact he was stuck in this frustratingly young body. But Mrs Grey seemed to be into that sort of thing..  
She kissed him suddenly half way through the detention. He kissed back without even thinking about it, and afterwords she acted like it hadn't even happened.

Jesse spent the rest of the hour in an agonizing awkwardness, expecting to be suddenly kissed again every time she got too close. He wondered if she counted as a pedophile, but he didn't view himself as a child.

She offered to give him a lift back to his aunts house, and asked if she was in. Jesse took the hint and said no, she was out for the night, "- so do you like, want to come in for like, a drink, or something?" he offered. Unsurprisingly the English teacher agreed. One thing lead to another, and before Jesse had even finished brewing the coffee, he found himself being pulled down onto the couch by a pair of long, pale hands.

"Damn! First you take our water, now your takin' our beer!?" Hank said, nudging Walter in a jovial sort of way, before laughing. "Ha! I'm just messing with you, Walt, lighten up! I'm happy to help. I just got the new promotion so I can afford it, no troubles."

"Yeah. Great." Walter replied stiffly, suddenly the beer tasted too bitter and the can felt too cold in his clammy hand. He had to remind himself, that Hank doesn't mean to be a rude, insensitive arrogant asshole. He's just messing and he doesn't mean to remind Walt that he's a failure.

"Uncle Hank look how fast I can walk now!" Junior called out, he'd had an operation last summer, it seemed like every time he had one he was thrown back on square one for months. He tottered over leaning on those little metal crutches, beaming.

"Hey watch out, speedy Gonzalo's!" Uncle Hank said, grinning. He picked the kid up and span him around, and the sound of his son's laughter filled Walt's ears. Suddenly, the atmosphere was stifling and he had to go out and do something.

"I'm just going for a drive." Walter said, and without waiting to wittiness his family's reactions, he left, got in the car and sped of.

The old car didn't go nearly as fast as he wanted it to, and the sound of the tinny engine drove into his head like a drill.  
So what now? Was this his reality? Would he be stuck here in this impossible scenario forever? What should he do? What did he want to do?

He wanted to get his power and his empire back, that's what. But was it really such a good idea to go to that dark place again?

Suddenly, while he was driving he noticed something on the side of the road.  
Now, despite his catholic upbringing, Walter had always been agnostic, not wanting to even bother thinking about ideas and religions that could never be proven. But if God did exist, then this was surely a sign straight from him.  
On the side of the road, was an RV with 'for sale £1000' written on a piece of paper and haphazardly taped to the window. Walter grinned to himself, plots and plans already forming in his head.

Less than an hour later, Walter was knocking on Jesse's door. He'd bought the RV for less than the original price. It was a bargain! He got it of some bigshot banker who'd just gone bankrupt. It was a real steal. Finally things were starting to make sense- he had purpose! ..even if this was all his imagination.

The door swung open to reveal Jesse. His hair stuck up in all directions, and his shirt was on backwards, like he'd gotten changed in a hurry. His blue eyes narrowed when he saw Walter standing before him.  
"Yeah, what do you want?" He asked. Eloquent as ever.

"Let me talk to you, just give me a minute of your time." He said, already stepping in. Jesse stared at him for a long moment, his blue eyes boring into Walt, finally, he stepped away.

"Fine. But be quick." Jesse said, letting his teacher in and closing the door after him. Walter took a moment to examine the room. It was decorated with mismatched furniture, and the wall was crammed with cheap looking ornaments and trinkets, the type you buy from tacky little tourist shops. There were pictures on the walls of a younger Jesse, and other family members that Walter had never seen back when Jesse owned the house.

"Well what is it? It better not be the same bullshit."  
"

Jesse, your in the meth business already, aren't you? Your already selling at this point, I mean." Mr White said,

"Yeah. A little. What about it?" Jesse said, he suddenly regretted telling Mr White that. If only he hadn't mentioned it..

"Jesse, let's start the business again. We know what to do this time. No more mistakes. I have an RV already." Walter said. "Think of the millions we could make."

"Are you shitting me!?" Jesse hissed, his voice low. "After all that's happened you actually want to start that again?" He took a step towards the older man. "No way. I'm out, man."

"Jesse, I can understand why you left the first time. Things got out of hand." Walter said, his voice was low, caring. Jesse could almost believe the emotion behind it was genuine. "But now we can start afresh! Nobody has to die, it will be s smooth operation."

"You keeping saying that! But someone else always has to die. Fuck, I can't even remember how many people were killed!" Jesse said, throwing his arms open for effect. "Why man? You don't have cancer now, you don't need to do this."

"Jesse I don't have cancer yet but I will do. My family's poor, now. My son- if I could afford proper speech therapy and operations for him his life could be improved so much more. He could be normal. Does 't he deserve that?"

Jesse faltered for a moment, Walt knew the quickest way to win an argument with Jesse was an emotional appeal.

"But it doesn't have to be meth, yo. You could make money other ways! Less illegal ways!" The younger one said.

"Oh, like what?" Walter snapped, transforming from compassionate to irritated in an instant.

"You- we- know stuff about the future now, yo, you could just win the lottery or invest in the stock market. Whatever!" Jesse said, gesturing wildly like he so often did in arguments. Walter paused, and without his eyes leaving Jesse's, he walked across the room and sat on the couch like he owned the place.

"You know, for some reason I haven't memorized the numbers for the lottery, or kept a record of trends in the stock market." Walter said, giving Jesse an unamused look. "If you could impart with me that information I assume you took the time to remember, that'd be excellent."

"You bastard! This isn't about the money, is it?" Jesse snarled, pointing an accusing finger in Walt's face. "This isn't about providing for your family or any of that, is it!? It's all about you. You getting to play drug lord because face it, man, you got fucking drunk on power."  
Walter felt a flare of anger run through him. That had hit a nerve. Jesse was wrong, anyway, he was doing this for his family! It was his duty as a man! The fact he enjoyed the power was just a bonus. Or so he kept telling himself.

Menacingly, Walter stood up to his full height, looking Jesse straight in the eye, he grabbed the younger man's outstretched arm, and pulled it back down. God, the kid's wrists were so skinny!  
"Bitch what're you?- don't touch me." Jesse growled, backing away, Walt pursued.

"Jesse everything I did was for my family, even if they never appreciate it. They mean everything to me." He said, slowly. "I don't think you understand what I'm offering you here. This is your only chance to be successful at something, don't you want that?"

"Your offering me a place in the fucking drug underworld." Jesse spat back, very aware of how close Mr White was, and how the mantle piece he was backed up against dug into his back.

"You, are already a drug dealer. You did that without my interference. Now, are you going to become a worthless junkie like you were before, or are you going to make something of yourself?" Walter asked. "Your can do so much better, if you'd just apply yourself. Be honest with yourself, after Fring when we were running our own operation, it was good. Admit it. You liked it, it was a smooth operation."

"You know what? I did like it." Jesse said, and it was the truth. He liked the feeling of power he had, and the satisfaction of knowing he was actually good at something- not just good, the best. But what he'd really liked though, was sitting down at the end of a cook and sharing a beer with Mr White. Just hanging out. They'd chat and watch TV, and Mr White finally saw him as an equal, as an individual of worth, not just a junkie idiot. But then Todd murdered a kid and everything became clear, like an unforgiving flashlight had been shone on Jesse's world. His only talent was making a poison, their business was built on an addiction that ruined lives and the man he was so happy to please was a power-hungry sociopath.

"So lets start again. I know we can do it. You can do it." Walter said, smiling. He knew Jesse was weak against encouragement, the Kid was easily swayed.

"I liked it until Todd killed that kid, you fucking killed Mike, and ordered the Killing of ten guys in jail, you psycho bitch." Jesse said, his voice raising and his eyes flashing with a rage he'd been trying so hard to contain.

"I did what I had to do to protect us. I was protecting you as much as me."

"I don't want anyone killed for me! You know- I'd rather be a junkie loser than a murderer!"

"Well, too bad for you, because your both!" Walter shouted back, in a sudden rage.

"Fuck you, man!" Jesse yelled back, pushing his teacher away from him, hard. Walt stumbled back, almost falling over, and in blind retaliation, with his judgement clouded by beer and lack of sleep, he grabbed Jesse with a fervent grip and flung him to the floor.  
"You ungrateful little shit!" Walter hissed, aiming a kick at Jesse's stomach only to have his leg grabbed by bony fingers, and find himself being dragged painfully to the floor. He collided with the ground with a smack, the worn old carpet did little to soften the pain of the impact.

There was a a fraction of a moment were both Walter and Jesse were still, both contemplating what to do next- their heads told them to leave it, but every fiber of their emotional bring was itching with the desire to attack the other man. To hurt him.

It wasn't clear who broke the stillness first, but the next thing was, the two men lunged at each other in a blind fury. Walter knocked Jesse to the floor first, having the advantage of weight. Jesse hissed, swinging his fist wildly, getting a rush of satisfaction when he felt it smash into his teacher's face. Walter felt his glasses crunch into his face, accompanied by a sudden pain that only increased his wrath. Without hesitation he returned the blow, punching Jesse square in the face.

"Ah! Bitch- " the younger one cried out, Walter was stronger than he was used to, being ten years younger and cancer free, this time he could beat this skinny kid. The thought spurred him on. Jesse hit him again with all his might.

"That was for Mike." He yelled, still trying to shove his teacher of. He looked at the man on top of him, whose eyes were red-rimmed and wild, whose raging expression mirrored his own. He wanted to hurt him.

Before Walter could, yet again, deny killing Mike, Jesse swung at him, his fist clenched. Before he could connect with Mr White's face, the guy grabbed both his wrists, wrestling them further to the floor.

"You stupid junkie! You take everything we build and turn it to shit!" Walter hissed, face inches from his struggling student. "You always make idiotic moves and ruin everything, then you give up and I have to sort your messes out."

Jesse growled from underneath him. "You think because I don't want to cook meth I'm the idiot!? You think I'm giving up?" He hissed. "Your the one who gave up, man, you gave up on your goddamn family. You wanted that drug empire over your wife, you- "

Before Jesse could finish, Walter wrapped his hands around the boys neck and squeezed.

"Don't you dare even talk about my wife! You- you- dropout loser!" Walter hissed, Jesse's fists connected with his face again, and his glasses went flying across the room, but his grip didn't loosen. "Junkie idiot! What do you know about family! You have no family, nobody!"

Walter let the anger and frustration he was feeling at Jesse, himself and everything take over. He was vaguely aware of the boy writhing under him and scratching desperately at his hands. He thought of how he'd sold his soul to provide for Skyler and she'd cheated on him, he thought of Hank's sly digs, Marie's attention-seeking, How his son seemed so dismissive of his father, How he was stuck in a weird twilight zone-like situation which felt to real to be a dream.

His insecurity's flooded his mind- the way Skyler looked at him, like he was a big disappointment, she married a genius who was suppose to become successful but she ended up stuck with a lame high school teacher.

He thought of the bored faces of his class- of every class over the years, how futile teaching had become. He thought of how his wife wanted him dead, and even Jesse had walked out on him. His grip tightened.

Jesse saw bright spots of light, and his head felt light. Terror flooded him as he realised Mr White wasn't letting go, he could still make out the deranged expression on the man's face. He felt his energy drain, as his punches and scratches got increasingly feebler. He was inches from passing out, when he saw a blurry figure rush into the room, and push Mr White. Suddenly the iron grip was around his throat was released, he took in a few deep gulps of air and felt his head spin.  
Walter looked up at the women who'd pushed him, made him realize what he was doing. At first he thought, with dread, that it might be Jesse's Aunt. Then he saw her hair that was dyed an unnatural shade of blonde, and he noticed her face that was caked in makeup to hide any possible wrinkles.

"Mrs- Mrs Grey? Blanche?" He said, his voice was eerily calm and didn't reveal any of the tidal wave of emotions beneath the surface.

"D- do I k-know you?" Mrs Grey said, sounding terrified at the prospect of being recognized. Walter almost groaned; he was so mundane that people often forgot him. She scrutinized his face for a moment then gasped. "Walter!? What're were you doing? Y-you assaulted a minor, and student! I could go to the police."

Walter looked up at her, took in her messy hair and mismatched clothes like they'd been thrown on in haste. Like Jesse's. Suddenly he was very aware of what she'd been doing here.

"I could go to the police and report a case of pedophilia. Jesse is a minor, and your student" Walter said evenly, everything still felt surreal, and he still hadn't really thought about what he'd done.

She laughed a shrill desperate laugh.

"W-we never! You can't- you can't prove anything!" She said, but Walter could see her hands shaking and he knew he'd won this one. Mrs Blanche Grey was too much of a coward to put her own neck on the line.

"Mr White-don't fucking talk to her like that- she isn't a pedo, 'aight. You bastard." Jesse wheezed, after recovering from his coughing fit. He massaged his reddened throat and looked over at Walter with a mixture of contempt and fear, and suddenly the chemistry teacher felt a wave of regret.

"Jesse I- I didn't mean to fight. I mean you did start it but- it's been a rough couple of days, you know that. Things got out of control, but I promise- "

"Save it." Jesse said, trying to keep his voice even. "Just leave, take your bullshit some place else."

"I'll give you some time to think about what I said." Walter picked up his glasses as he stood up, and Jesse resented the way he acted so cool and collected.

"W-what's going on between you two!?" Blanche stammered. She wasn't good at dealing with confrontations.

"It doesn't matter." Walter said darkly. "Just know that if you report me, or try anything, then I'll be happy to tell the principle about- this-"  
He gestured around the room, his intimidating gaze never leaving the woman in front of him.

"Jesse- he would never! Never admit to any unsavory gossip about me!" Blanche said, with vindication. Jesse nodded in agreement.

Mr White's eyes flicked to his student. "Jesse would never rat me out, either so I guess we're at stalemate."

Both the teachers looked to Jesse for conformation of this. He sighed.  
"I'm not a rat." He said, finally. Walter felt a bubble of pride in his chest. Jesse was still loyal. He could come around. Blanche looked disappointed.

"I know." Walter replied, Jesse shot him a glare.  
"Yo! Did you not hear me I said said get the hell out of here!" Jesse shouted, his voice still sounding hoarse. Mumbling a half-hearted apology, and shooting one last warning glare at Mrs Grey, Walter left. His mind once again scheming.  
_________________________

(A/N: This chapters kind of all over the place, and I can't remember why I thought adding a character like Mrs Grey was a good idea, buuuut you know :3.. hopefully next chapter will be better :D

Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! :).. and thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! 3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is something I wrote a long, long time ago and i haven't really proof read, so hopefully it's still readable.

Today was not going to be an easy day. That was the first thought Walter had, when he awoke lying face-down on the couch, the place were Skyler had banished him to, after he arrived home late last night and ' _had the whole family frantic! Leaving without so much as an explanation!'_.

He'd tuned out most of Skyler's rant, he couldn't take her seriously like this, anyway; She was twenty eight years old. A kid, really, still so young. Walt found it almost laughable how she had been chastising him like he was a naughty child.

Walter rolled of the sofa, planted his feet on the ground and forcing himself up. He felt achy all over, thanks to his fight with Jesse, he walked into the kitchen just in time to see Skyler about to leave her hand clamped tightly around Junior's, ready to take him to school.

"Are you not going to work?" Skyler asked, she intended for her voice to come of as annoyed and aloof, but really she just sounded anxious. She was anxious.

"I- I still feel ill. Going to take a sick day, it's not like I've ever really taken days of before." Walter said, making himself a cup of coffee. Skyler wished he'd look at her when he was speaking.

"D-Daddy, what ha-happened to your face?" Junior asked, not sensing the tension between his parents at all. "W-where you in a fight?"

Walter forced a laugh. "Who do you think I am? Rocky? No. Dad's just clumsy, he fell down a flight of stone steps!"

Junior laughed along with Walt, while Skyler fixed her husband a skeptical glare. She could tell he was lying, and was convinced Walter had been beaten up or mugged and was just to proud to admit it. Walter knew with certainty he'd be in for an earful later. He didn't want to deal with it, he wasn't in the mood to deal with people's shit.

"Okay well, we have to go now, junior, or we'll be late. Say bye to Daddy!" Skyler chirped, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

"B-bye Dad hope your fe-feeling better soon!" Junior said, as he was hurried out the room by his mother. Walter smiled at them over his cup of coffee, and said his goodbye. A moment later he heard the door click. They were gone, he was alone.  _Now what?_

Walter moved swiftly around the house, planning out his day one action at a time. First he'd finish his cup of coffee, go upstairs to grab his spare pair of glasses, then come back down and begin to cook breakfast. The first chemical reaction of the day.

It was only when he was half-way through his plate of sausages that he felt calm enough to start planning. First thing he needed to do was shop. Get the right reactants at least for a pseudo cook. He could get Skyler something while he was out too, maybe a box of chocolates to show how  _very, very_  sorry he was for coming home late, that should pacify his wife a little.

After that Walter'd go to his new RV parked inconspicuously on a caravan park, then he could drive out to the New Mexican desert and start cooking a batch of pure meth, the first little piece of his new empire.  
"It'll be simple." Walter thought to himself 'Even if this all goes to shit, this is probably just a dream, anyway'.

* * *

"What's that on your neck?" Badger asked, leaning forward to inspect Jesse closer.

"Nothing!- " Jesse replied a little too quickly, shifting quickly out the way. Him and the other boy were sat opposite each other on the little kitchen table, eating breakfast togther. Jesse had forgotten that this was a thing that used to happen.

"Are they hickeys? Or bruises?" He asked, with a mouthful of toast "Have you been like in a fight- or- or with a girl!"  
He said the word ' _girl'_  with such reverence, like they were a different species or something.

"I probably just slept on it funny or somethin'." Jesse said, with a mouthful of cornflakes. He cursed Mr White for taking it too far once again. He just hoped that Walter had bruises ten times as bad, he wondered if the guy would show up for school today, and they'd have to pretend to be teacher and student again and act like last night hadn't happened. He'd have to do that with Mrs Grey, too, but for very different reasons.

"Slept on it funny? Yo if your gonna bullshit me, at least don't make it too obvious, man." Badger huffed, "but seriously dude, tell me. We're like- best buds in the whole wide world yo, best buds don't keep secrets."

"Dude, what are you, gay?" Jesse said, actually laughing. "And I told you, I musta just slept on it funny. Stuff like this happens all the time, it's like, basic biology."  
B

adger, gullible as ever looked like he was starting to believe him. "Whatever, man, lets just go to school. My parents will kill me if I bunk of again. I'm not even joking."

* * *

-  
It was almost noon, and Walter was sweltering. The RV had no air-con, under the unforgiving glare of the new Mexico sun, the place was like a heat-trap. But the Chemist was more focused on his work in front of him, the bubbling test tubes that would soon become pure methamphetamine (Or grade-A glass, as Jesse would say.) .  
Walter had managed to go into the school undetected, grab some equipment and drive of into the desert to cook. It had all been so easy, so smooth. He watched his little experiment carefully, making sure everything was perfect. It was just second nature to him now, a chemists instinct.

* * *

Jesse had been in a lot of awkward situations in his life, but this might just be the worst. Or second worse maybe, that dinner with Mr White and his wife had been pretty brutal.  
Mrs Grey stood at the front of the class, giving an emotional analysis on  _Streetcar named desire_. Both of them kept catching each other's gaze then looking away. Jesse hadn't just spent a night of lust with the woman, but she'd also walked in on him and Mr White fighting. He wasn't sure of how much of the argument she'd actually heard (he was trying to keep it quiet) but either way she looked pretty fucking unconvinced when he told her it was over grades and he'd started it. Why he was still trying to defend Mr White he did not know.

"- and so, the character of Mitch can be seen as a foil to Stanley. Mitch is timid, and nervous, while Stanly is a Brute! And Alpha male-type!- "

Jesse tuned out her lecture, he couldn't listen if he tried it was just so.. Boring. Was he really going to waste his time going through high school again? He had been thinking about working hard and not screwing up this time, but then what? Spend years working his ass of just to get some crappy office job like his Dad? The thought repulsed him more than a life of crime did, he didn't want a normal job. So what was he even doing here in school?  
His thoughts were interrupted by the bell ringing.

"Yo, You coming- ?" Paul asked, stuffing his tattered english books hastily into his nike bag like he couldn't stand to be in that classroom another second. Jesse looked up at him.

"Lunch? Come on man, or'd you rather stay here for some extra class?"

Jesse laughed and rolled his eyes like he was suppose to. "Yeah because this lessons so freakin' fascinating."

"Hey, maybe extra tutoring with Grey mightn't be so bad.." Paul said, his eyes shifting side to side to check nobody was listening. He leaned in closer to Jesse, a mischievous smirk on his face. "- Jonathan Derringer told me she sucked him of. For real, yo."

"And you believed that bull? Johnny Derringer's full of shit." Jesse scoffed as Mrs Grey walked past them and out the room, her perfectly manicured fingers trailing on his desk for a fraction of a second.

* * *

Walter stared at the product before him, the very first piece of his new empire. Crystal Meth, pure as ever. It wasn't his signature blue, but it was clear as can be, almost see-through, Jesse's voice runs through his head ' _This is grade-A glass, Mr White. Your a goddamn artist._ '

He tried to banish thoughts of Jesse, for now.

The boy was an ungrateful brat wasting his potential, but once he got over his sudden attack of morality, and realized what he was missing out on, he'd come around. It was like the Jane and Gale incidents all over again; Jesse'd fall to pieces for a little while, but the kid was surprisingly resilient, eventually he'd put himself together, come to terms with what'd happened.

Walter took deep gulps of the lucosaide he'd brought, taking his time rehydrating, replenishing minerals, replacing electrolytes. His eyes wandered again back to his pile of meth, the foundations of his new empire (it felt strangely lonely when nobody knew about it.). Now what? What was he going to do with it?  
Without Jesse as his link to the criminal underworld, he was lost. Walter didn't know who the local kingpin was, or other dealers. Heck! He didn't even know anyone who took meth!  
Walter felt a surge of frustration run through him at the futility of it all.  _Goddamn it!_

_'I've made the purest meth going, kept a drug dealer captive in a basement and chocked him to death, escaped imprisonment by a crazed meth addicted kingpin, ran a super-lab, mowed down a couple of gang-bangers with an aztec, poisoned a child, shot three people and blew up the biggest drug lord this side of the border using a wheelchair bomb, and burned said super-lab to the ground. I've ran my own meth operation in people's houses, destroyed police evidence using goddamn magnets and pulled of the biggest train robbery ever without anyone even noticing. I can sell a pound of meth myself, ABQ's full of meth-heads. How hard can it be?_

* * *

"So, are you going to Lexi's party this saturday, Jesse?" Beatrice asked, leaning against him slightly, sending grey cigarette smoke from her cherry-red lips floating in his direction.

"I don't know, maybe." Jesse said, he found this whole situation kind of ironic; All through high school Jesse had saw Beatrice as this sexy stoner chick who was basically the coolest girl on the planet. She was like, the girl all the bad guys wanted, and him and his friends used to compete constantly for her attention. The girl probably got at least a grands worth of free ched and drinks of him and his mates throughout highschool. Jesse remembered the one time they kissed in senior year as being his crowning achievement for a while. But now, he was different, he knew better than to treat girls like some sort of trophy, and pander for their attention like a obsessive little puppy dog. So he just treated her like any regular person, and suddenly she was interested.

"It wont be the same without you, I'd love for you to come." She said, looking at him through her lashes in a way that was probably suppose to be seductive, but to Jesse she just looked like a kid now. Not sexy at all.

"Hey, I'll see what I can do." Jesse said, as he took a drag from his cigarette.

"I'll come to the party." Badger piped up, eager to get her attention. All he got was an eye roll.

"Great." She said, "You gonna Puke again like you did at Kevin's?"  
The others laughed, and Badger joined in with them to show that he  _definitely didn't mind some banter. He was okay, he was cool with it._

Jesse cast a long look around the group; Paul, Badger, Justin, Beatrice and Skeg. The stoner crew who hung around the back of the school smoking like they were the most bad-ass kids on the planet.

All of them normal kids, from middle class homes who were trying desperately to be gangsta. Beatrice was speaking again, but Jesse wasn't listening. He felt a sudden wave of nausea wash over him, a tight knot sat in his stomach, making him feel uneasy. Nothing had changed, he still couldn't focus in class and he still hung around the back of the school smoking, and he had no idea how to change either of them. Mr White was right, he was a  _junkie, loser, idiot, dropout._

* * *

"Here." Walter said, handing Skyler a box of chocolates on her arrival home. "For my beautiful wife."

She took the box, and eyed it with an amused sort of suspicion. "Your after something."

"You got me." Walter chuckled. "I'm after your forgiveness." Then he let his playful expression turn more serious. "But really though, Skyler, I don't know what's come over me lately. I'm sorry I acted like a.. Jerk- for lack of a better term. I think the stress just got to me, that's not an excuse but-"

Walter didn't have to say anymore, because Skyler leaned forward into his chest, hugging him. "It's alright, I forgive you for being a jerk." She said, then laughed into his shirt at how childish she sounded.

Walt wrapped his arms around her, breathed in the familiar smell of her hair, and smirked. If only he was this adept at lying when he first started meth-cooking he'd still have the loving wife in his arms, rather than the cold, detached creature she'd become in 2010.

"Thank you." Walter said, running her hand through her blonde hair, longer than he recalled it ever being. She pulled away from him.

"So, I take it you feel well enough to go to work tomorrow?"

"I feel much better, thanks." Walter said, reluctantly releasing her. He hadn't realised how much he missed having a wife who wasn't afraid of him. "I think it must of been the stress making me feel rundown, you know? When your under stress, the body's response hormones cause a decrease in the number of T-Cells, which weakens the immune system."

Skyler laughed again. "Nerd." She teased, playfully. Then stopped suddenly. "And what happened to your face? Tell me the truth, no 'falling down the stairs' bullshit."

Walt sighed, and tried to look sheepish. "I saw an argument between these two blokes. Drunk I suspect. It was stupid of me, but I tried to jump in- one of them had his son with him, a little boy, he was crying his eyes out. It was for his sake, really. I know I should of called the police. I didn't tell you at first because, well, I was least I technically stopped the fight."

"Walter! You could of got really hurt. This family couldn't deal with it if you did- " Skyler said, fixing him an exasperated look. "I know your heart's in the right place, but your head- think a little, Walt."

"I know, I know." He replied, putting up both his hands in a surrendering gesture. But inside he was seething. He hated being spoke to like was incompetent! He felt an odd thrill of satisfaction knowing he was planning to do something  _very_  dangerous tonight.

* * *

"So, how was the trip?" Jesse asked, before taking a bite of his Microwave lasagne. God this stuff tasted shittier than he remembered..

Aunt Jenny gave him a long, withering look that told him all he needed to know.

"That bad?" Jesse said, attacking the crusty cheese of the microwave meal with his fork. His Aunt nodded.

"It was suppose to be fun. Me, Stella and Eunice having a little overnight get together. Of course, Eunice started an argument and Stella took her side." She paused to give an exasperated sigh for effect. "I don't know why I bother. The thing about people, sunshine, is most of them aren't worth the effort."

"Preach it." Jesse said, letting out a low chuckle. Aunt Jenny was always constantly arguing with everyone, because most people couldn't handle the way she brazenly spoke her mind. ' _The problem with that woman is, she has no filter_ ' he remembered his father saying once.

"Hm, the less said about those two the better, the pair of old numptys." Aunt Jenny said with a huff. "And what about you, what did you get up to while your old Aunt was out of town?"

The kid shrugged "not much,"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and before his aunt could even ask him to, Jesse walked over to open it.  
It was Badger, he stood there wringing his hands, his eyes darting around nervously.

"Yo. What's up?" Jesse asked, after a moments hesitation, he leaned lazily on the door frame, crossing his arms.

"You wanna come to the skate park with me?" He asked, his voice high, and nervous.

"Nah man, I'm kinda tired an I got a shit-ton of work to do- "

Badger grabbed his wrist weakly, and his palm felt clammy. He looked at Jesse with scared, paranoid, stoner eyes. "No, really, yo. Come to the skatepark with me." He sounded desperate. Before Jesse could open his mouth to protest, Badger continued. "It's the Nando brothers and their crew they wanna.. Talk.. To you about some money. An they said if you don't go there they'll come here, man, and that didn't seem like such a great idea with your Aunt being- you know. And just imagine if your Mom found out.. Imagine your  **DAD** , I wouldn't-"

"Alright, alright yo. I get it. I'm coming." Jesse said, feigning annoyance, but inside he felt a twist of dread as old, long buried memories of impossible debts, and loan-shark punishments bubbled to the surface.

* * *

Walter felt as if everyone was looking at him with icy, accusing glares. 'You don't belong here.' His beige jumper and wire glasses might of made him seem inconspicuous in his suburban home but here in down town ABQ, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He'd been approached by three people already asking if he was lost. He was lost. He had no idea how to sell the pound of meth stowed away in his backpack, it felt heavier and heavier with every step he took. No. He had to have confidence and just do this.

He scanned a street, bathed in artificial neon lights and in the end decided to try the group of youths hanging outside a seedy bar. They seemed like a safe bet. Safer, at least than the older, tougher looking men.

"Got no ID?" Walter asked, approaching the youths. There were four of them, all smoking, all dressed in a way that reminded Walt of Jesse.

"Whats it to you old man?" One of them asked, more amused than annoyed. He had long matted hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in months.

"Excuse me for being presumptuous. You seem like the type who might be able to give me some information on who runs the... illegal substance market here, so to speak." Walter said, in a calm authoritative voice, like when he was back speaking with Declan in the desert.  
The gang looked at him blankly.

"Yo- um what the hell you chattin' about, man?" The one who's face was plagued with acne asked. Walt resisted the urge to sigh- eloquence and subtly defiantly wasn't the right way to speak with underage delinquents.

"Let me put this in terms you'll understand." Walter said, keeping his voice even. "Who's trafficking the drugs around here? Who's the most powerful drug lord in this area that you know?"  
The gang laughed nervously.

"What are you, a cop?" Pimple-face said.

"Do you really want to try my patience if I am?"

"You don't look like a cop you- you old creep."  
"Can you give me the information I need, or am I wasting my time?" Walter said, tensely.

"It's Diego Salamanca man, and his crew." Piped up a boy who looked a couple of years younger than the others. He was clearly trying to impress his mates with his street knowledge. "But good feckin' luck tryna get to see that dude. He's like- exclusive. You can't just walk up to him."

Walter felt an odd rush of nostalgia and terror. This whole thing reminded him of Tuco- and what a mess that had turned out to be.

"Where can I find him? Do you have any idea where he'll be?" Walter asked.

"Why? You're crazy man." The kid said, laughing. Walt just carried on looking at him, his expression deadly serious. "Wow. Well, okay then- his crib is on saragossa street. Its the big one, with a bunch of mean lookin' dudes outside."

"Right. Thanks for your time." Walter said, turning away, ignoring the boys warning for ' _an old stiff like him to stay away from there._  He felt a familiar rush of freedom, he wasn't being stifled by his job or his family and he had a purpose.

* * *

"So, you tryna rip us of?" Dominic Nando said, his face inches from Jesse's.

"No. The money I borrowed of you wasn't even for me- aright? It was for a friend!" Jesse snarled, glaring up at Dominic Nando. He and his brother Amir were small time gangsters, they were in their twenties but liked to prey on high schoolers to sell to and borrow to; Kids didn't have the power to fight against them, and they usually would do anything to make sure their parents wouldn't find out about their illegal activities. Jesse knew first hand.

"Well I didn't borrow it to your friend. I borrowed it to you. And I want it back- with interest!" Dom yelled. Jesse had originally borrowed the money for his friend Gary Lester, who wanted to buy a load of Ecstasy pills in bulk. ' _We'll sell 'em of at three times their original price. We'll be rich!'_  It might've worked too, if Gary hadn't got himself arrested, leaving Jesse to deal with the debt.

"Listen, man, I'll pay it back I swear. My word is my bond." Jesse said, a feeling of dread creeping up his spine. He really didn't want to be made a target for a gang again. The Nando brother's definitely didn't have the most powerful gang, but they were great at scare tactics. They'd had Badger lead Jesse to an abandoned Skate park were they'd been waiting for him. From there Dominic and forced him to his knee's while Amir just watched.

"Whatever you say. KID. I don't care as long as I get my grand." Dominic said, grinning. Jesse could tell he enjoyed this whole ' _pretend to be a badass gangster to terrify kids'_  routine.

"A grand!? Dude, I only borrowed- well like, nowhere near a grand!" Jesse protested. Dominic gave him a warning look, and pulled out a gun from the waistband of his baggy jeans.

"Its interest- ever heard of that, retard? So pay up, or else." Dominic said, waving the gun around. Jesse knew he wouldn't use it. He doubted Dominic even had bullets in it- but it still scared him. Being hit round the head with a gun was pretty freakin' painful. If there was one thing Tuco had taught him, it was that.

"Fine. I'll find a way to do it." Jesse said, looking down at the ground, scowling. He knew there was no was he could make that kind of money. He couldn't last time. The brothers and their gang had broke into his aunt's house and trashed it in retaliation. It was awful. They stole her jewellery that had belonged to her grandmother, and destroyed her furniture. But the worst had been smashing the urn were Aunt Ginny had kept the ashes of her only son, who had died in infancy. Jesse gritted his teeth. He was determined not to let that happen.

"Yeah. You better get me that money, kid, or I will tie you to a chair and set fire to it!" Dominic said, bluffing of course. He reached out and messed up Jesse's hair in a patronizing way. He leaned down, his face inches from Jesse's, his calloused hand gripped the back of the boy's head painfully, preventing him from flinching away. "Be a good boy. And we wont have to hurt you."

Jesse said nothing, just glared at the ground. Dominic turned to leave, heading back to the car. Amir strode forwards suddenly, without hesitation, and drew back his fist and punched Jesse in the stomach. Jesse gasped and slumped forwards, the wind knocked out of him. Amir said nothing. He just looked down at Jesse with emotionless coal black eyes, before heading back to the car himself. A moment later, Jesse heard the engine revving, and the squeal of tire against tarmac as the car drove away.  
He stood up, just as Badger ran over (he'd been waiting obediently round the back of the ramp like he'd been told.)

"What did they want, dude?"

"For me to pay back the money, what do you think?" Jesse snapped, kicking the bench in frustration.

"And are you- gonna be able to do that?" Badger asked tentatively. Jesse shrugged, the scowl still on his face. He knew a way to get the money, and not have to be kicked around by a couple of wannabe-gangsters. But that would mean getting involved with the meth business again and with Mr White. But was that really such a bad thing?

* * *

"I'm here to see Diego." Walter said, his voice firm and never wavering. He'd long since learned that confidence is key if you ever want to be taken seriously.  
The muscled man with the shaved head and a scorpion tattoo snaking around his bicep gave Walt a look of disdain. "Yeah. Why?"

"Business." Walter said, simply. He refused to drop his gaze and carried on looking the door guard in the eye.

"Yeah, well you look like a narc to me." The guy said.

"You can check for wires."

"Yeah, I bet you'd like that."  
Walter let out an exasperated sigh I'm here to sell him something. Something he can profit of."

The other man rolled his blood-shot brown eyes. "You. Your selling smack?"

"Methamphetamine." Walter corrected. He had no idea what smack was. He wondered not for the first time why criminals insisted on butchering the english language.

"Wait- meth!?" The guy said, his eyes wide. Suddenly his expression darkened. "You tryna say we look like tweakers."

"Of course not- " Walter said frantically, as he suddenly comprehended the danger of what he was doing. "I just thought you would be interested in the prospect of making good mo- "

Before he could finish that sentence, he was knocked of his feet by the guy slamming a fist into his face.  
He sprawled out onto the damp pavement, his face suddenly exploding in pain. This guy's punch's made Jesse's seem like the touch of a feather. He heard shouts, and saw dark figures quickly running over. Someone grabbed him by the collet and forced him into sitting position, and yelled something in his face.

"What?" Walt croaked.

"I said are you alright!?" The blonde guy with the dreads asked.

"I'm fine." The chemistry teacher said, although he felt anything but. He brushed the guy of him and forced himself to his feet.

"- The thing about Gaz is, he's on steroids so- "  
Walt knew the blonde was saying something, but tuned him out. The guy with the muscles- Gaz - stormed over to him.

"I don't wanna see you here again- ya hear? Fuck you tryina diss me. I'll blast ye knee caps of, yeah!"  
Walter hurried away from the stedhead and his roid-rage as fast as he could. Behind him he could hear laughs and hollers.

"Yeah you better run!"

"-aw you didn't need to punch the old nerd- "  
Even after they were out of earshot, Walter still burnt with fear and humiliation. A single word swam through his head in an eternal mantra

 _'Failure, Failure, Failure_ '

* * *

Mr White was back in the classroom the next day, sporting a new bruise on his nose. Luckily for him, his wife had left early so she hadn't noticed.  
He didn't pay Jesse any mind when he slinked into the classroom along with the rest of the class.

"Whoa, check out Mr White." Justin hissed to Jesse. "Fresh bruises, man. He don't seem like the type to fight."

"Yeah maybe he's like, putting a mask on at night and trying to be a superhero- you know, like in kick-ass." Jesse muttered, half-smirking. "He seems like the type- repressed, unhappy with life, boring as hell."

"What'y mean 'like in Kick-Ass', is this some new slang I don't know yet, dawg?" Justin asked.

"No, dumbass, the film." Jesse said, rolling his eyes- because who didn't know that film.

"Never heard of it."

"Okay, now you're fucking with me. How could you not- " Jesse stopped in his tracks. How could of he forgot. Kick-Ass wasn't out yet. He felt a sudden pang of longing for all the awesome movies and videogames that weren't yet created. "-Nevermind."

"Your a fricken weirdo sometimes." Justin laughed, punching Jesse in the arm.

"Just sometimes?" Some blonde girl who's name Jesse couldn't even remember called out. Her friends laughed.

Walter stared down at his hands, scowling. He didn't even know why he came to work today- he supposed it was a way of punishing himself for last night's failure.

_Don't fuck up again or this is what your life will be._

He'd rushed into it last night.. He was too rash. He'd let his past successes cloud his judgement, the reason he got so far in the first place was because he was so cautious. Oh well, this was probably just a dream.

The bell rang for end of the lesson and the kids all ran out, not wanting to spend another second in the chemistry room doing 'independent study'. Jesse lingered behind. Once the class room was empty, he walked over to Mr White, trying to appear casual.

"So, how's the business going?" He asked, leaning over the desk. He tapped his foot nervously. Mr White didn't say anything, he glared at the work on his desk with hard steely eyes.  
"I'm uh- I'm guessing by that big-ass bruise on your face it isn't going great." Jesse continued.

Mr White gritted his teeth. "Don't you have better things to do with your life than irritate me. We aren't business partners. We aren't anything anymore, Pinkman."  
He said Jesse's surname like it was an insult.

"You can't sling it can you? You need someone who knows the biz." Jesse said. He hated this. Hating crawling back to Mr White, as usual.

"What of it?" Walter snapped, although his tone was less harsh. He looked up, finally facing Jesse.

"I know.. Where to sell it yo. I could do it." Jesse mumbled, scowling at his trainers. Walter caught sight of a finger-print shaped bruise on his student's neck when he moved, and felt a strange rush of both satisfaction and guilt.

"Now correct me if I'm wrong, but you were vehemently against working with me." Walter said. Jesse glared at him.

"Well things changed. I need the cash." Jesse said, shifting from foot to foot, stepping back. "Do you want my help? Or you rather just make meth you can't sell?"

"I knew you'd come around." Walter gloated, smiling in a condescending way. "I didn't think it'd be so soon though."

"Screw you, man!" Jesse growled, turning to leave.

"Meet me here after school." Walter called after him, a new pep to his voice. "And just know, Jesse, that you#re making the right choice."

* * *

**(A/N: Phew, okay, This chapter felt a bit clunky. It was the awkward one were I had to force Jesse and Walt back into the meth business together..**

**Anyway, thanks for all the great comments, no way would I've been able to write this chapter if it wasn't for them :D.. If your reading this, please leave a comment to tell me what you though, I love hearing from you guys!**

**-thanks!)**


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